The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 32

Cayenne was practically kicked out of the Empress’s Palace, feeling dazed and bewildered. It was not an official expulsion, but he had been pushed out so unceremoniously that he did not even process what had happened until he was well away from the building.

“No, even so,” he muttered.

Alicia’s firm, authoritative voice still rang in his ears. He could not believe his own body, a body that had commanded thousands on blood-soaked battlefields, had frozen instinctively at her word. He wanted to march back in and demand an explanation for her insolence, but he could not exactly admit that he had been momentarily dominated by her command.

“Was there something wrong with that tea?”

Cayenne’s immense pride searched desperately for something to blame. Perhaps she was so shy about his sudden approach that she fled. But he knew better; a shy woman did not let out a cry that could freeze a man’s blood.

“No, there is something more urgent right now.”

The questions Alicia had posed had completely shaken Cayenne’s long-held preconceptions. Before this flash of insight vanished, he needed to meet with Glen and review the facts.

“We are returning to my quarters. Summon Glen immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. And regarding the Empress?”

“Tell her I will return tomorrow.”

Miller, the Emperor’s Chief Attendant, blinked in disbelief as he watched Cayenne walk away without a word of protest despite having been practically shooed away.

“Yes, Sire.”

Howard, the Chief Attendant of the Empress’s Palace, also let out a silent sigh of relief as he saw the Emperor off. No one knew exactly what had transpired between the two of them in the parlor, but to treat the Emperor so poorly and emerge unscathed, Howard felt like he was living in a palace he no longer recognized.

“Your Majesty, His Imperial Majesty has sent word that he will return tomorrow.”

When Howard returned to report this to the Empress, he found a bizarre scene. Alicia was vigorously fanning herself in the middle of a chilly night while Agnes was desperately trying to stop her.

“I don’t know anymore. I just don’t know!” Alicia offered a completely irresponsible answer as she fanned herself faster.

Agnes caught Howard’s eye and signaled for him to withdraw.

“Agnes, open the window.”

“I cannot! You will catch a cold. And please, stop fanning yourself.”

“Don’t you feel it? The air is so stifling and hot in here.”

Both husband and wife were suffering from an inexplicable fever.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I have already ventilated the bedchamber. Please, change your clothes and try to sleep.”

Alicia had not touched a drop of wine today, yet her cheeks were still flushed. It was as if she would not need a single drop of rouge for her face for quite some time.

“If I may be so bold, what on earth happened in the parlor to make you drive him out? I mean, ask him to leave?”

Less than thirty minutes after they had entered the parlor, the doors had swung open and Cayenne had practically stumbled out, pushed by Alicia. It was a blessing that only Agnes and Howard had seen it, or rumors would have already spread that the Empress had snubbed and rejected the Emperor.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Alicia said tartly. Yet, the way her fair face turned as red as it had the night before made it easy to guess that it was a matter of the heart.

“His Majesty is just so rude.”

“Your Majesty, you must not say that. Besides, it is not as if his personality is a surprise to you.”

“I am not talking about palace etiquette. Everything he does is just so sudden.”

The suggestive word made Agnes’s eyes waver.

“Sudden? In what way did he act?”

Alicia’s dress was as neat as it had been when Agnes finished it, and her hair ornaments were perfectly in place. In what way, then, had he been sudden? Even the veteran Head Maid was confused.

“We were just having a conversation, and then suddenly, and I mean truly suddenly, he grabbed my hand.”

Alicia’s eyebrows twitched with agitation.

“And then?” Agnes felt her throat go dry.

“And? I shook him off, of course! But he was already so worked up all by himself, and then.”

“Yes?” Agnes’s mouth hung open.

“Goodness, it was unbelievable. He was completely one-sided!”

“One-sidedly? What did he do?” Agnes’s voice actually trembled.

“He leaned right in toward me, so close our breaths were touching, and then, and then.”

Thinking about it again made Alicia feel flustered and hot, so she reached for the fan again. Agnes quickly snatched it away, trying to calm her own racing heart.

“And then?”

Could the long-awaited prayer of this palace have finally been answered in such a short time?

“Oh, right. I ended up shouting ‘Stop!’ without even thinking.”

Alicia let out a long breath and looked a bit calmer. Agnes, however, could not relate.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but you haven’t mentioned what happened before you shouted ‘Stop’.”

One does not simply skip the most important part with a sigh.

“Hmm? What happened?” Alicia asked innocently, completely unaware of Agnes’s internal scream.

“The part you were just talking about.”

“Oh, right. So, I told him to stop at first, but he wouldn’t listen at all. He even grabbed my hand tighter, so I just lost it and yelled.”

Agnes blinked, trying to process this. “That is it?”

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have. Shouting at the Emperor without even using formal speech.”

No! There is a much bigger problem here! Agnes tasted the bitterness of a massive disappointment after such high hopes.

“Fortunately, His Majesty seemed to sense how I felt and stopped. It got awkward, so I just saw him out early. That is all.”

“Ah, I see.”

Agnes’s voice had lost all its energy, but Alicia just gave her a sweet smile.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think he was angry, and the Chief Attendant said he is coming back tomorrow, right?”

Watching Alicia warmly pat her hand, Agnes was speechless. Is now the time for your lovely hands to be comforting your old maid?

“He won’t be angry at anyone.”

Agnes bit her lip for a moment before letting go. “Your Majesty, you do realize the two of you are a married couple, don’t you?”

“Of course. That is why I am here.”

Normally, this bright, innocent answer would have been lovely, but today it was exasperating.

“Didn’t you say earlier that you were going to look for your true duties as Empress?”

“I did! And I actually had a great idea.”

Agnes did not have high hopes for this answer.

“I heard briefly that the situation in Rubeo is quite impoverished during the winter. Things like milk are just a dream for them. So, I am going to look for some cheap, common ingredients and find a way to make food that can comfort the people.”

It was a beautiful sentiment for an Empress, but it made Agnes’s insides burn.

“I believe there is another duty that only you can perform, which should take priority.”

“Yes, and fortunately, His Majesty is visiting often lately, so I plan to bring it up gradually. With Madame Emma’s help, I might gain the wisdom to manage the palace.”

“I believe the fact that His Majesty is visiting so often means your relationship has improved significantly,” Agnes said softly as she removed the pins from Alicia’s hair and helped her change into her nightgown.

“Is that so? Well, maybe.”

Alicia knew that sharing a table could create great intimacy. Warm meals that satisfy basic instincts at the end of a long day are the foundation of close relationships. Cayenne’s growing favor was a psychologically proven phenomenon.

“He even praised your beauty today.”

“When?” Alicia asked casually as she took off her earrings.

“He said you looked good. That is a compliment to your beauty.”

“He must have just liked the sapphire.”

Alicia’s eyelashes flickered rapidly despite her dismissive words.

“But still.”

“No, that part where he grabbed my hand, it felt like, like camaraderie! Really!”

She had not just shouted at him because he was sudden. If that were the case, last night’s kiss would have been impossible.

“It felt like he was lost in thought about something else, not me.”

A woman’s intuition was accurate.

“In that state, to just grab my hand, and so excitedly and suddenly!”

Usually, such excitement led to a much hotter story.

“No matter if he is the Emperor, isn’t that too rude to me?”

Alicia gave a tart little sniff and pouted as she took out the other earring. “I have to protect my own pride.”

“Yes, of course. You certainly should.”

Agnes had thought Alicia’s change after the fever was a total blessing, but now she wasn’t so sure. This more cheerful, innocent, and honest Alicia seemed to have become a child when it came to matters between men and women.

“Perhaps the Emperor isn’t as cold or terrifying as I thought,” Alicia continued, still acting distracted. “You know how some people are different from their reputation once you actually get to know them?”

The urge to say that the person was her husband rose to Agnes’s throat, but she swallowed it.

“He even seems to listen to me a little bit.”

The experts were right; if you want to train someone, you have to be perfectly firm in the moment. Alicia had seen it clearly, the way Cayenne’s body had frozen when she shouted “Stop.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, isn’t that great?”

It meant the training, feeding him delicious food and observing his heart, was working. Alicia could not help but feel delighted by this small victory.

“Yes, it is certainly a good thing,” Agnes smiled. She might not know modern psychology, but she was a master of subtle implication. “Even though His Majesty will be returning to Rubeo soon.”

“Ah.”

The obvious fact made Alicia’s heart go cold. The excitement she had felt over their improving relationship suddenly felt hollow. Once he left, distance would surely lead to emotional estrangement. This training would lose all meaning.

“Right. I forgot.”

Agnes nodded, seeing the smile vanish from Alicia’s face. Leading and training someone was not a job for Alicia alone.